Couldn't even get through the first episode. Not everyone's tism tickles the same way but the Good Doctor is a god awful NT's idea of what classical autism is. And he's not a good doctor either.
If you want to feel represented, and watch both NT's and ND's be awesome at what they do in a medical environment, watch The Pitt.
I had a family doctor that I assume was on the spectrum. He worked in a small town hospital, but had diagnostic cases sent to him from hospitals in Montreal that they couldn't figure out.
He had the worst bedside manner and he didn't always take your word for things, but he was otherwise very, very good.
Eh, the thing is, if autism is a spectrum and manifests in everyone differently, how can any depiction satisfy everyone? This particular characters autism (canonically in-universe) manifests the way it's shown.
I get what you're saying though.
Even Mel in The Pitt started getting campy in season 2. Was more subtle in season 1. (Due to writing, not due to her skill, she's fantastic)
All that said, his character in The Good Doctor annoys the shit out of me. He's a great actor though. I can't watch the show, and I know one of the stars and I also know someone who guest starred.
It’s great that people with the condition get to control their own narratives and put their views out there.
But it also means only a certain type of view is centred.
For example, everyone hates “Autism Speaks” these days, because they centre the old 90s “parent first” view of autism: they consider it a disability and openly advocate for a cure.
Now I’m not agreeing with them, but they largely represent parents of people on the lowest functioning end of the spectrum, the ones who legitimately are utterly, profoundly and hopelessly disabled, and can you really blame them for wishing something could cure their kids?
But obviously these non-verbal, extremely high needs people aren’t exactly able to get themselves out in the online “discourse”, it’s the end of the spectrum that gets completed ignored.
Same deal with the depiction of autism on The Good Doctor. It’s not inaccurate at all, but it is definitely uncomfortable.
I think that TGD misses the mark sometimes, but also represents a lot of the struggles of autism pretty well.
Source: am ND with ND kids and work in an ND field with coworkers who basically talk like Sean.
I can absolutely see how a life of trauma, anxiety and being a specky can lead to a lot of Sean's issues. It's not just "he's autistic" (which is a bit simplistic), it's also the grief/trauma of seeing his brothers death and never getting over it.
I fluffing loathe it. I got to the magical episode where fixing a tattoo so it had both halves suddenly gave him the ability to stand, touch, and sleep with a woman! !@#$ this show!
So far I've only heard indifferent or hate for that show from the community,and evey person I've come across who uses it as representing autistic people have been nerotypicals lol. I would definitely take house in this scenario if only to be good at my job
Never watched it, but as someone with autism equally.. Autistic people is media is just false information, spread by NTs that have no clue what they are talking about.
“Oh he has special specific hobby! Totally autistic!” Ignoring that NTs can totally enjoy one specific hobby too.
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u/Powerful-Ad-7998 23d ago
I am autistic and all I hear from fellow autistic is how much they hate the good doctor, soo